Lover's Betrayal
by Saphire Ravven8
Summary: PostLosing You. What was Shal's answer to Bren's proposal? What will happen to tear the two lover's apart at the seams? Will Shal ever forgive him? And if so, will it come too late.
1. Default Chapter

Title: Lover's Betrayal

Summary: The Sequel to 'Losing You.' Things are finally looking up for Brennan and Shalimar, then something happens that will change everything. Will Shalimar ever trust him again? And will her feelings of hurt and betrayal ever fade enough to let him back in?

"Will you marry me?" He stared straight into her eyes.

She stared at him, wide eyed, mouth slightly open in surprise. Her mouth gaped uselessly as she sought for words. He looked up at her in clear apprehension and nervousness. Her eyes shone with love and awe and, to be quite honest, fear. She didn't know if she was ready for this, a commitment so deep and complete that would bind her to this one man, this one love, for all time. But she knew in her heart that if she was going to risk such a commitment she would risk it with no one else but the man kneeling before her now. This man she loved with every fiber of her being. The man who would risk life and limb to keep her safe and vice versa. She wanted to be with him. Wanted to love him forever.

"Shal?" He said questioningly, waving his hand almost comically in front of her staring eyes. She couldn't help it; she laughed and threw herself into his surprised arms, catching him off guard as they toppled to the ground in a heap of giggles and kisses. She pressed her lips firmly against his, kissing him deeply, passionately, trying to communicate all of her feelings into that one single display of unbridled emotion.

When they broke apart reluctantly, several moments later, Brennan quirked an eyebrow at her expectantly, "Is that a yes?" He asked, nervousness again flashing across his dark features. She giggled and kissed him again, a light, loving brush of her lips against his. She nodded vigorously. "Yes?" He asked, hardly daring to believe it.

"Yes!" She exclaimed with a joyous giggle and squealed when he pulled her into his arms and kissed her deeply. He slipped the ring onto her finger and smiled as her eyes shone.

"God, I love you," he murmured against her hair, kissing the top of her head gently. She sighed and wrapped her arms around his back and lay with her head on his chest.

"I love you too." She breathed, kissing his neck softly. He stroked her hair with gentle fingers, caressing her back and neck lovingly. She suddenly perked up and looked deep into his smiling eyes. "Wait 'til we tell Lexa and Jesse!" She exclaimed, rolling off of his and allowing him to pull her to her to her feet. They ran off down to the Helix, Shalimar giggling as Brennan chased her, gently pinching her affectionately. She squealed when he scooped her up into his arms and kissed her.

Jesse looked up with a smile when he heard the swish of the bay doors opening and a giggle as Shalimar and Brennan stepped into the hall. Then he raised an eyebrow at them when they came into view. Something was different about them, but not _we just made love_ different, a happy, mysterious, _we're about to tell them something amazing_ kind of secretive different. "Okay, what's up?" He asked, quirking an eyebrow impatiently.

"Patience, dude, hang on." Brennan laughed, patting his heartily on the back. "Hey Lexa, get in here!" Brennan yelled, laughing as she came skidding into the room, looking around wildly for any sign of danger.

"What is it? What's wrong?" She looked at Shal and Brennan's grinning face and secretive glances and raised an eyebrow, glancing at Jesse, who shrugged. "Okay, what's different about you two?" She asked. Shalimar giggled and leaned over, whispering into Brennan's ear, who grinned widely. He nodded and she smiled and took her hand from where she had hidden it behind her back. Lexa and Jesse gasped.

"Oh my _God_!" Lexa exclaimed, hugging Shalimar happily, then Brennan. "You asked her!?" He nodded. "He asked you!" She squealed excitedly. Shalimar nodded with a wide smile. Jesse pulled Shalimar into a tight hug.

"Congratulations!" He said to them both as he turned and embraced Brennan, a wide grin spreading across his face. "I'm so happy for you." He punched Brennan in the stomach. "You didn't tell me you jerk!" Brennan's breath came out in a wheeze as the air was knocked from his lungs, but he laughed.

"Sorry man, but I didn't want anything to ruin the surprise." Jesse glared without conviction before embracing him again and slapping his back gently, laughing.

"Holy shit, look at that rock!" Lexa said gleefully, catching Shalimar's hand in her own and examining her ring.

"Isn't it amazing," Shalimar smiled affectionately at Brennan. "He's got good taste," she remarked appreciatively, wrapping her arms around his waist, smiling as his arms slid around her shoulders. This was it. This was the reason she had agreed. She had never felt so safe and so carefree and happy in anyone else's arms as she did in Brennan's. She knew that she never would. She knew in her heart that marrying him would make her complete and nothing could take that away from her. Or so she thought...

TO BE CONTINUED...

A/N: Sorry teh first chap has been such a long time coming. I've been busy.


	2. Chapter 2: Alcohol

Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I don't own Mutant X or anything pertaining to Mutant X, otherwise I'd have fought tooth and nail for a 4th season...and I'd own the super-sexy lead boys...heh...

A/N: I'm updating in less than a week! Aren't u proud of me!? This hasn't happened in awhile. I'm proud of me. hehe. Enjoy the new Chapter! Loads of love to those of u who stuck with me even through teh Uber long wait!! Thank you for ur patience and ur continuing support!

FIVE WEEKS AFTER THE NEILSON AFFAIR…

"Are you sure?" Brennan looked at her pleadingly, eyes wide and shining as he pouted. "Come on, baby, it'll be fun." He pressured. She smiled and shook her head. They'd been engaged for two months now and she was happier than ever, but she needed a night away from the clubbing scene.

"No, I'm sure. You guys go have fun. Next time, I promise. " She grinned at his defeated expression. "Go on, go." She kissed him then shoved him out the door. "Have fun."

"Come on guys! Let's go!" Jesse called from the doorway of the garage.

"Coming!" Brennan yelled, kissed her cheek and took off at a run. "I love you!" He called back to her over his shoulder.

"Back at ya!" She said to his rapidly retreating back.

"Lexa!" Jesse exclaimed in dismay. "Why aren't you dressed!?" His eyes drifted from her bare feet to her burgundy velour pajama pants and matching spaghetti strapped low cut top with gold flames and the words 'go to hell' embroidered across the chest. Jesse was shocked at how sexy she could look in even one of the more conservative pairs of pajamas that she owned, but was still upset at her lack of clubbing attire.

"I'm not going." She said almost happily.

"What do you mean 'you're not going'?!" He exclaimed in exasperation.

"Shal and I are going to have a girl's night in while you two have a guy's night out." She smiled.

"Aw, come on, Lex." Jesse almost whined in displeasure as Brennan looked on in amusement. At least he wouldn't be alone in his conspicuous lack of a girlfriend. "First Shal, now you? This sucks!" She kissed him gently.

"I know, but you'll live. Go on, it'll be fun. You guys, us girls, apart for the first time since oh, ever... I think we all need a break. You guys go, it's cool." She was interrupted by Shalimar coming up behind her and looping an arm around her shoulders.

"They still haven't left yet?" She giggled.

"No, Jess is still trying to get me to go." Lexa smiled.

"Well tough," Shalimar said, pulling Lexa closer and taking a step away from the guys. "She's mine for the night. Besides, you guys wouldn't be interested in what we're doing. We're gonna watch chick flicks and do each other's hair and nails and give ourselves facials and gossip. We're going to have girl talk night. We'll talk about movies, hair, makeup, the first boys we ever kissed," she fought back a smirk as the guys began to back away as slowly as possible. "PMS, cramps, our peri-," They were gone, leaving the door to slam in their wakes. Shalimar and Lexa looked at each other and burst into hysterical laughter, falling against each other as tears of laughter streaked their faces.

"That was close," Brennan breathed as the Jeep sped into the deepening night with Jesse at the wheel.

"Yeah," Jesse agreed. "Imagine if they talked to us about that stuff, especially the last few..." He shuddered.

"Ugh," Brennan shuddered with him.

"Whatever, Lexa was kind of right. It'll be good to have a night out, just us guys. We can do manly things like drink and...well...drink..."

Brennan laughed and clasped his shoulder happily. "Damn straight, man! Let's hit the clubs and get with the drinking." Jesse laughed and Brennan joined in as their car disappeared into the looming dark between sparse street lights.

Lexa set down the nail file and picked up the small jar of deep red nail polish, showing it to Shalimar, who nodded in approval. Lexa picked up Shalimar's hand again and supported her fingers as she layered each nail with the crimson polish. "What do you wanna watch first?" She asked as she frowned over a rebellious drop of color that landed just outside of the blonde's nails. She quickly removed it with a Q-tip before it dried before moving on to Shal's other hand.

"Hm..." Shalimar contemplated for a few moments before her face brightened. "Have you ever seen The Labyrinth?" She asked eagerly.

"Oh my God! I love that movie!" Lexa exclaimed.

"Really?" Shal asked in surprise.

"Duh, who doesn't?" She grinned. "You remind me of the babe."

"What babe?" Shalimar countered.

"The babe with the power." Lexa said, finishing the last of Shalimar's nails and closing the bottle, setting it aside.

"What power?"

"The power of voodoo."

"Who do?"

"You do."

"Do what?"

"Remind me of the babe!" Lexa finished and they fell against each other in helpless laughter, careful to avoid contact with Shalimar's wet nails. "So," Lexa gasped when speaking was possible. "What do you think the boys are doing?"

Jesse's face was bright red with heat after all of the alcohol he had consumed, but Brennan's was brighter. Twelve shots of vodka, six gin and tonics, and eight tequila shots later had left them both completely without inhibitions. Of that list, Jess had had six of the vodka, two of the gin and tonics and four of the tequila shots. Brennan had consumed six shots of vodka, four gin and tonics and four tequila shots, rendering him the more mindless of the two.

"The girlsh don' know wha' they're mishing." Jesse slurred, falling against Brennan as the dark haired male stumbled over with two more shots of vodka, which they slammed down thoughtlessly.

"Defitly," Brennan agreed, looking up as a shadow fell over him. His eyes fell upon a gorgeous young brunette.

Her hair was streaked with blonde and was layered and fell in sharp angles about her face. Her startling blue eyes stood out brilliantly against her long dark hair and black eyeliner, mascara, and dark blue eye shadow. Her full deep crimson lips called to his drunken mind. She was wearing very little in strappy black heels, a pleated black mini skirt that barely covered her nicely rounded ass, and a silver tank-inie that had no back, only laces tied tight enough to keep the front from folding in upon itself and thin straps that tied at the base of her neck. The front of her top had a plunging v neck line that showed off the curves of her breasts and covered very little of her stomach, leaving at least three-quarters of it exposed. The skirt hung low upon her hips, showing just the very top of the lines of her pelvic bones beneath her nicely defined stomach. Her legs, long, slender, tan, and stately, called to him.

Something tugged at the back of his mind as he stood shakily and followed the woman to the dance floor but he couldn't quite put a finger on what it was. He smiled drunkenly as he and his mystery woman swayed to the music, Jesse's laughter echoing in the background of Brennan's alcohol-fogged mind. As their third song ended he grinned stupidly as the woman took his hand and led him to the back room of the club drawing the curtains around the booth that she had brought him into. Once in there the woman shoved Brennan down onto the chair at the back and sat astride him, kissing his neck and running her hands over his chest suggestively. Brennan smirked and began unbuckling his pants to her rubbing hands and rough kisses.

Jesse and Brennan stumbled out of the club at two in the morning, completely wasted and barely able to stand. Jesse, being if only slightly more sober than Brennan, had enough sense to set the Jeep in auto pilot to Sanctuary before falling back against his seat and looking over at Brennan with a drunken laugh.

"Sho, you half fun wif that girl?" He slurred.

"Wha girl?" Brennan asked obliviously, for he truly could not remember her. Jesse shrugged and they both laughed again.

TO BE CONTINUED....

A/N: uhh...can anyone else say "uh-oh"? I sense trouble a-brewing...I should, I'm writing it...hehehehe....::evil cackle::


	3. Chapter 3: Hangovers

A/N: Sorry! Sorrysorrysorry! I apologize for an update of any nature taking so long! Life seems to have taken a firm grasp of me and my time and refuses to let go. As it is, i'm posting this at 12 midnight on a friday, the only moment when I've had time. Again, I'm SO sorry, I hope you've stuck with me and please enjoy the chapter,

The guys swaggered into Sanctuary and hour or so later to find Shalimar and Lexa asleep on the couch and the end credits of a movie rolling down the TV screen. Brennan winced at the light in room and stumbled off to bed without a word and fell asleep instantly, doomed to be unable to remember that night.

Jesse staggered over to the couch and poked Lexa unceremoniously until she woke up with a groan. "Jesse?" She blinked. "What time is it?" She leaned over and rubbed Shalimar's back in an attempt to wake her up in a gentler manner.

"I onno," Jesse answered her, kissing her cheek and stumbling off. Shalimar woke with an incoherent mumble and a groan, rubbing sleep from her eyes

"What time is it?" She repeated Lexa's question. Lexa frowned at the clock on the VCR.

"Quarter past three," Lexa replied, helping Shalimar groggily to her feet. "The guys just staggered in." Shal perked up.

"Drunk?"

"_Oh_ yeah." Shalimar giggled and she and Lexa went to bed. Shalimar smiled warmly as she looked over Brennan's sleeping form on their bed, completely clothed, shoes still on. She gently removed his shoes and climbed into bed beside him, wrapping her arms around his waist. Suddenly her eyes flashed yellow, sensing something different about him. Something smelled off, she just couldn't put her finger on it. There was an unfamiliar, almost feminine scent around him, but she ignored it, figuring that it was just from all the women around him at the club.

Brennan woke up alone the next morning with a pounding headache. He staggered to the bathroom cabinet and took out the Advil, filling a small glass with water and downing three pills. A little excessive, maybe, but his head was throbbing and spinning. Not that they had the chance to help his headache as he was over the toilet, throwing them back up ten seconds later. After several minutes of vomiting up everything he had drank the night before, he took another few Advil and headed towards the shower.

He had to lean against the ceramic tile walls for balance because the room kept spinning and growing dark then shifting back into painfully bright technicolor. He groaned and rubbed his forehead. _I shouldn't have had those last few shots,_ he thought as he lathered up and rinsed off quickly. After finishing all of the hygienic stuff required for a shower, he sat down inside the tub and hunched over, folding his arms on top of his knees and laying his head on his arms, letting the warm water pound onto his back and shoulders, relaxing his tensed muscles. He felt his eyes closing and gave in to the sleep that was forcing down his eyelids.

He woke about an hour later to Shalimar shaking him gently, a look a concern and mild amusement on her face. He moaned and mumbled something incoherent before opening his eyes to find that he had fallen over and was leaning against the shower wall. He had a pain growing in his back and neck but his headache seemed to have reduced slightly and the world didn't appear to be tilting crazily anymore.

"Hey, you okay?" Shal asked him, laying a gentle hand on his shoulder.

Yeah," he replied quietly, his voice hoarse. "I'm okay."

"Oh good, I'm glad." She giggled a bit. "So, how much do you _love_ alcohol right now?" She grinned when he moaned and shook his head slowly.

"Liquor is _not_ my friend." He groaned as he took her proffered hand and she helped him to his feet and out of the shower. "I'm never drinking again." He swore.

"Yeah, I'll hold my breath on _that_ one," she giggled again, taking a towel from his bathroom cabinet and helping him dry off, taking his bottom half because bending over made his head spin. Not that she minded...

Brennan flopped down on the bed and tried to lie down but was stopped by a still-chuckling Shalimar. "Oh no you don't," she admonished him gently, pulling him upright with strong arms. "No more sleeping, it's not my fault you drank so much last night, so get up and come have some breakfast and some coffee." She walked over to his dresser and opened a drawer. "Time heals everything, even hang over headaches." She smirked at his disappointed expression before tossing a pair of jeans into his face and walking towards him with a black tank top in her hands.

He groaned as he leaned over and pulled his jeans up his legs, making the room spin again. He rubbed his forehead slowly and lifted his butt up to tug his jeans up the rest of the way but couldn't do them up. Shalimar knelt down in front of him and removed his faltering hands, buttoning and zipping his jeans. She indicated that he should lift his arms over his head and she slipped the shirt over his arms and pulled it into place over his chest and stomach then tugged it down in the back where it had gotten caught. She offered him her hands again and hauled him to his feet and into her arms.

"Thanks," he murmured against her hair. She pulled away and her eyes shone.

"No problem, but don't expect that every morning." She nudged him gently, kissed him, intertwined her fingers with his and led him from the room to the kitchen, unaware that Lexa was having similar problems with Jesse.

"Come on Jesse, get up!" Lexa exclaimed exasperatedly, shaking him mercilessly.

"Mmm," he groaned and rolled over, squeezing his eyes shut against the bright lights that Lexa had flipped on in his room regardless of his headache. "Go 'way." He mumbled, turning his face into his pillow. Lexa, however, had other ideas, and a less gentle way of rousing her boyfriend.

"Jesse Kilmartin if you don't get up in the next _five seconds_ I will _never kiss you again_." She threatened, standing from her perch on the bed and rising to her feet, standing a few inches away, arms crossed over her chest. Jesse's eyes shot open and he sat up quickly, instantly regretting the fast movement as his head spun and his head throbbed three times harder than it had been a few seconds ago. Lexa bit back a small smile.

"That was mean," Jesse mumbled, rubbing his temples in slow circles. He rolled just his eyes up at Lexa in a pitiful glance.

"I know," she sat down beside him and took over rubbing his temples and kissing his neck gently. "But you're up, aren't you?" She grinned wickedly.

"Yeah, I'm up, but that was still incredibly cruel and my head is pounding." He closed his eyes as her motions lulled him.

"Here," she kissed him and stood again, heading towards the bathroom. "I'll get you something for your headache and then we'll go have breakfast. And then maybe I'll give you a treat of your very own." She leaned down and kissed him again.

"Oh, I like the sound of that." Jesse smiled. Lexa laughed and brought him back two pills and a glass of water. Jesse took the pills gratefully and downed them without a word then let Lexa help him to his feet and dressed unsteadily. Lexa smirked as she watched him fumbling with his drawers and clothes. She waited until he was finished then went to him, kissing his cheek and putting an arm around his waist, smiling as she felt his arm loop around her shoulder and they left for the kitchen together. "So, what of this surprise?" Jesse wiggled his eyebrows at her and she laughed, giving him a suggestive glance.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" She giggled and glanced up at him as he pouted at her vague response.

"Morning guys, Shal, Brennan." Lexa greeted them with a smile, sitting beside Shalimar and across from Jesse at the small table. The two guys looked at each other and laid their heads on their arms folded upon the table with simultaneous groans. The girls' eyes met and they covered their mouths with their hands and stifled giggles.

"I think they drank a bit too much last night." Shalimar laughed.

"I'd tend to agree." Lexa grinned. "Hangovers are a bitch."

"Tell me about it," Brennan grumbled and Jesse nodded in agreement, both without raising their heads.

"So, do either of you remember last night?" Lexa asked. Brennan shook his head no but Jesse raised his head and his brow furrowed in thought.

"Umm…I remember music…and people...lots of people… Then there was that girl…" Both Shal's and Lexa's head snapped up. Brennan made a sorry attempt to raise his head, failing miserably before letting it fall back onto his arms.

"Girl?" Shalimar quirked an eyebrow at them.

"What girl?" Lexa asked suspiciously.

"Honestly, I don't really remember. Something about vodka...um…brunette… tall… anything after that is kinda blank." Jesse admitted. "I'm sure if something happened I'd remember." He added when Lexa's angry eyes met his.

"Brennan, do you remember this girl?" Shalimar asked, she tried to keep the snarl from her voice. Brennan frowned and thought hard. The light caught his eyes when he finally managed to raise his head and he winced and laid his head on his hands.

"No, Shal, I truly don't. I don't even remember coming home last night. Or anything after my second gin and tonic, for that matter. I doubt that anything happened." He took Shalimar's hands and kissed them gently. "_You're_ my girl, Shal, you know that." She smiled and squeezed his hands.

"I know, but you know how territorial I am."

"Obviously," he grinned, remembering the bite marks as she'd staked her claim. She smirked at him, gleefully unashamed.

"Can I go back to bed now? Please?" Jesse whined pitifully.

"Yeaah, what was with waking us up. You knew how messed we were." Brennan chimed in. Lexa and Shalimar looked at each other, and evil grin passing between them.

"Uhh, no!" The stated in unison, laughing at the groans they received from the hung-over men.

TO BE CONTINED...

A/N: Hope you like the chapter, please note that another update might take awhile since I seem to be expiercing a tedious 'bout of writer's block or it's possible that i just haven't had the time to try and sit down to write more of this fic. I'm trying, i really am, please be patient with me. Thanks for your support, I truly do appreciate it!


	4. Chapter 4: Sickness

Disclaimer: yea yea, don't rub it in...

A/N: Okay, so I'm not sure if I'm thrilled with how this chapter unfolded. I'm seeing some serious plot holes in how this situation will work out... So I don't know if I like it. I'm rather annoyed with this fic right now so let me know if you like this chapter of whether I should rewrite it. Anyways, I posted an extra-long chapter since I made you wait over a month (Sorry about that). Thanks to Kiki,a, loveconquers ( I LOVE your fanfiction, btw, your updates make my day, Traveling Souls is AMAZING: D ), bohemianbabe (mxangel, read some of ur old stufff, liked it lots), and Mxfan214. You guys rock, thanks so much for sticking with me. And really, seriously, let me know if you like where this is going, cuz I really don't think I do... Anyways, here it goes:

**_SIX WEEKS POST-NEILSON…_**

"You alright, Shal? You look kind of pale?" Brennan rubbed her shoulder gently. She leaned her back against his chest as the sat at the booth in the night club. Jesse and Lexa were on the floor, dancing and laughing. Jesse leaned down and kissed her neck; she giggled and ran her fingers through the hair at the base of his neck.

"Yeah, I'm fine, just tired." She reassured him.

"You sure?"

"Yeah, Bren, I'm okay." She smiled.

"You wanna dance?"

"Not right now. Could you just maybe sit here with me for awhile? Could you just hold me in your arms and listen to the music with me." Another flare of concern erupted within him at her words. Something was off with her, he could feel it. But he nodded and kissed the back of her head, pulling her closer to his chest.

"I'll never let you go," he whispered in her ear. "You're safe with me. Just lay back, close your eyes. I'll take care of you." She sighed and snuggled into his arms.

"I know you will."

"Hey, man, is she okay?" Jesse asked as he and Lexa came back to their booth. Shalimar was asleep in Brennan's arms. He stroked her soft curls affectionately.

"I don't know. She says she's fine, but she looks pale to me."

"Well, we can't force her to tell us when something's up. We just have to wait for her to come to us." Brennan nodded at Jesse's words.

"Are we ready to go home, guys?" Lexa asked. The guys nodded and Jesse held Shalimar up with gentle arms so Brennan could get to his feet and stretch before picking the feral up in his arms. She mumbled something and laid her head on his shoulder, arms slung around his neck.

"Alright, Shal, let's get you home."

"Good morning, Shalimar." Brennan announced cheerfully. She groaned and threw her blankets up over her head. The world kept spinning and she was freezing. She felt like she was going to be sick.

"Brennan…" she groaned, leaned over the edge of the bed, and vomited.

"Shal!" He exclaimed and ran to hold back her hair. He rubbed her back in slow circles, helping her stomach calm. He snatched a tie off of the bedside table and slipped it around her hair, then ran to grab a bowl for her to get sick into. She took the bowl in shaking hands and sat up on the bed. Her face was pale and drenched with cold sweat. She shivered and he wrapped a blanket around her shoulders.

Shalimar laid down in a curled up lump beneath the blankets, feeling foolish, embarrassed, and nauseous as Brennan cleaned up her mess. He mopped up with paper towels, then took out the carpet cleaner vacuum and washed the rug. When that was done, he sprayed the air with a bit of her perfume to get rid of the smell of puke.

He nimbly jumped over the wet spot in the run and sat on the bed beside her shivering lump. He rubbed her back gently, knowing where it was by the curve of her back. "Shalimar?" She eased the blanket off of her face and looked up at him pitifully.

"I'm sorry," she croaked, eyes welling with tears. She hated being sick.

"It's okay, really, but are you?"

"I'm okay…well…for the most part; it's probably just a stomach flu or something."

"Maybe we should go see Jesse? Get a scan done?" She shook her head weakly.

"No, Bren, it's okay, really. I'd kinda prefer to just lay here awhile." He eyed her with concern still prominent on his dark features.

"Okay," he stood to leave her in peace so she could sleep, but she tugged at his arm gently.

"Stay with me, please?" Her wide eyes pleaded with him and he smiled warmly before laying down beside her and rubbed her back gently until she fell asleep, snuggled against his chest.

"Bren?" Jesse's voice questioned over their COMlink connection, worry evident in his voice. Brennan gently disentangled himself from Shal's sleeping form and padded silently across the room before answering.

"Yeah, Jess," Brennan silently cursed himself for not comming Jesse to let him know what was going on. It was terribly inconsiderate of him.

"You alright? What about Shalimar?" He sounded like he'd been getting progressively more nervous for them all morning.

"We're fine, Jess, Shal's sick though. She's sleeping. But she wanted me to stay with her and I didn't have the heart to leave. Sorry I didn't COM you, we didn't mean to worry you."

"It's alright." He paused. "Wait a sec. Shal's sick? Really? She never gets sick." Brennan could almost see the disbelief on the younger man's face.

"I dunno man; she woke up and vomited. She says she doesn't need a scan though, so I guess that's her choice."

"Guess so, just let me know if she feels any worse, alright? Or if she pukes again?"

"Will do bro, hey would you mind slippin' me a sandwich or something, or at least a drink. Just 'cause she's not hungry, doesn't mean I'm not."

"No problem, Bren, be there in a few."

"You rock, see ya!" Brennan cut the connection and went back over to perch beside Shalimar on the bed. His loose tie in her hair and long since fallen off and he brushed a lock of hair away from her face. Her skin was kind of clammy to the touch. Brennan frowned, hoping she was okay.

Jesse showed up a few minutes later with a plate of breakfast for Brennan, who thanked him quietly, and stepped out into the hall to eat so the smell of food wouldn't wake Shal and make her stomach more upset. "How's she doing?" Jess asked, leaning against the wall beside him.

"She's sleeping and hasn't thrown up again, so better I guess."

"That's good. Wonder what's actually wrong with her," Jesse pondered. Brennan's eyes snapped to his face.

"You don't think it's a stomach flu?"  
"Bren, you know as well as I do that Shal NEVER gets sick." Jesse paused. "No…it's something else."

"Like what?" Brennan frowned. What was he thinking?

"I don't know, but if she gets worse or doesn't improve, bring her to the lab for a scan. Kicking and screaming if necessary." Brennan nodded.

"Kicking and screaming."

_**SEVEN WEEKS AFTER THE NEILSON AFFAIR….**_

Shalimar leaned over the porcelain toilet bowl weakly and vomited again, face pale and covered in cold sweat. Brennan came into the bathroom just as she threw up once more. Concern flashed across his dark features and he knelt beside her, holding back her long tresses and rubbing her back gently. She ran an arm across her lips, hands shaking as she turned to him.

"Shal? Are you okay?" Brennan asked softly, stroking her back.

"Yeah," She replied unconvincingly. "I think it's just a stomach flu or something."

"I think it might be more serious than that. You've been sick like this for the last week. I think it's time we took you to see Jesse so he can check you out."

"No, Brennan, I'm fine. I'll be good as new in a few days."

"Please Shal? Please do this. For me?" He looked at her pleadingly, concern still prominent in his dark eyes. She melted under his gaze.

"Okay. Okay…Let's go." She agreed. She tried to stand but her shaking legs just wouldn't support her. Brennan picked her up gently and carried her to the lab, comming Jesse to meet them and spending several long minutes assuring him that she wasn't hurt, just sick.

Jesse arrived at the lab a few moments after Brennan had laid Shalimar down on the examination chair. Jesse patted her arm in concern. "How're you feeling?"

"Crappy," she replied honestly. "Let's just get this over with so I can go sleep and Brennan can stop pestering me."

Jesse smiled and strode over to the computers, tapping a few keys. The scan started and a light played over her skin. Jesse waited for the results and printed them to show the others. He scanned them, eyes freezing about halfway down.

"Jesse?" Brennan asked upon seeing his face.

"Hang on." He said, going back to the computer. "One more scan." He added to Shalimar and the scan began. When the results came back he stared at them for several long seconds before letting out a soft, "oh my God," before turning to Brennan and Shalimar.

"What is it Jesse?" Brennan asked, frowning in concern.

"Shal…I don't know how to tell you this." He began quietly. He truly looked at a loss for words.

"Just tell me Jess. What's wrong with me? Is it serious?" Shal asked.

"Uhhh….not serious, I guess….depending on how you view things….medically, no, it's not serious…"

"Then what is it Jesse, come on, tell me." Shalimar stood from the chair and started towards him.

Jesse took a breath and swallowed hard. "You're pregnant Shal." She stopped in her tracks, eyes wide before her legs buckled and Brennan caught her as she fainted.

"I'm WHAT?" She exclaimed when she awoke several minutes later after Jesse confirmed what she'd heard. "Oh my God." She buried her face in her hands. This couldn't be happening. She felt Brennan's hand on her shoulder and looked up at Jesse, eyes burning.

"Whose is it?" She asked quietly.

"What?" he frowned, not understanding her question.

"Who is the father of this baby?" She asked calmly, even though her mind was screaming in panic.

"I don't know. I'd have to run some tests."

"Then run the damn tests, Jesse. If it's _his,_ I _don't_ want it." Her hands shook and tears welled in her eyes. "A baby borne of _that_ is evil and I **don't** want it."

Brennan sat down beside her and wrapped her quaking body in his arms. She leaned into his chest and buried her face in his shirt, sobbing. She clutched at the fabric desperately, as if it were the only thing keeping her up. Brennan kissed her hair and stroked her back, making soothing noises in her ear. His eyes filled as he looked at Jesse over her head. Jesse closed his eyes and rubbed his face in frustration; there was nothing he could do to help her through this. He couldn't _heal_ pregnancy. He couldn't just computer it away.

"Shal," Brennan whispered, cupping her chin in his hand and turning her face up to his. Tears streaked her pale face and she refused to meet his eyes. She was overwhelmed with shame and hatred of herself for letting that scumbag to touch her, violate her the way he did. She didn't want Brennan to see the shame in her eyes, the guilt. "Come on, Shal, look at me." His voice caught as her eyes met his as steadily as she could manage. Her eyes were so…hollow…her true feelings deeply shadowed.

"I should've fought harder," she whispered brokenly. "I_ let _this happen. I _let_ him do this to me. Let him take me and abuse my body…God, why didn't I fight harder? I should've fought harder. I'm so sorry Brennan. He took me and dirtied me. I'm not worth anything anymore." A sob tore from her lips and the tears began again. "I'm just a body now. A raped, beaten, filthy body. I don't deserve your love and your devotion. I should've fought harder for you. I'm sorry…I'm so so sorry…I don't deserve an-anything…"

With that she fled the room, covering her face with her hands to hide the tears. "Shalimar!" Brennan shouted, taking off after her, Jesse at his heels. Looks of concern flashed between the two team mates as they searched Sanctuary to no avail. Where was she? They would've heard if she'd started her motorcycle. Then they noticed the door to the mountaintop ajar.

The first snow had fallen the previous night, blanketing their world in a sheet of white. A crisp wind whipped around the two men, both thankful for their long-sleeved shirts and Brennan for the leather jacket he'd grabbed before running outside. It was at least five below outside Sanctuary and the guys shivered as the cold enveloped them in its' relentless arms. Worry flared in Brennan as he realized that, in her haste, Shalimar may have run out here with nothing but a tank-top on. She'd freeze to death before she went back in to face them.

"SHALIMAR!" Brennan cried out, the wind whipping the words back in his face. "SHAL! COME ON SHAL, ANWER ME!" He turned to his companion. "God, Jess, we've gotta find her, she could die out here."

"I know, but where the hell'd she go?" He shouted over the growing wind. It was as if nature was working against them. Brennan shouted back that he didn't know and they continued their search. The wind picked up and snow swirled around them, reducing visibility to just a few feet in front of them. "Maybe we should split up?" Jesse hollered.

"No! It'd be too dangerous in this weather! We have to stick together!"Brennan replied. _I just hope we can find our way back to Sanctuary,_ he thought.

"SHAL!" They shouted together, combining their voices to make them louder. "SHALIMAR!"

"BRENNAN!" Jesses cried, pointing to a dark lump in the snow. Brennan's heart froze in his chest and he rushed over to Shalimar's shivering form.

"Oh God, Shalimar!" He tore off his jacket and wrapped it around her. She blinked at him through the icicles that were forming on her long eyelashes. Her lips and cheeks were blue with cold. Brennan enveloped her in his arms and lifted her, Jesse walking in front of him to help block her from the fierce wind.

They managed to get back to Sanctuary without incident and rushed Shalimar to the lab. Brennan laid her on the bed while Jesse ran to get blankets. Brennan got a bowl of warm water and gently sponged her bare arms and face. Shalimar shivered horribly beneath the blankets and the guys couldn't seem to warm her. "Her heart rate is slowing. She's too cold." Jesse announced and he punched keys rapidly.

"Damn it! I always miss Emma, but it's times like _these_ that her mutation was especially helpful."

Lexa strode into the room and immediately sensed the frantic air. "What's going on? What happened to her?" She asked, taking Shalimar's freezing hand in her own.

"She ran outside in nothing but a t-shirt," Brennan replied, trying to keep the irritation from his voice. "Now we can't get her warm."

"Move back, let me try something." She requested. Brennan eyed her suspiciously but stepped away. Anything was worth a try at this point. Lexa lit up her fingers and began tracing a hot outline around Shalimar's body, carving her shape into the fabric. "Get something reflective and hold it above and beside her." She instructed and Brennan ran to comply. Lexa shot light at both of the metallic pans and they heated instantly, forming a make-shift sauna-type-thing.

"Her body heat's rising," Jesse stated. "Keep it up, Lex."

Shalimar's shaking slowly subsided and she was able to sit up and wrap just a single blanket around her shoulders. Brennan hugged her gently and kissed her forehead and hair. "Why do you _insist_ on scaring the piss outta me, huh?" He whispered to her. She laughed hoarsely.

"Nice job, Lexa," Jesse smiled. "Never would've thought of that."

"Yeah, Lex, thanks. You probably saved her life." Brennan said gratefully. Shalimar locked eyes with the other girl and Lexa nodded in understanding. She didn't have to say the words for Lexa to know that Shal was grateful.

"Guys, could we have a sec?" Brennan asked, nodding suggestively at the door. Lexa and Jesse smiled and obligingly left the room. Brennan walked over to the bed and sat beside Shalimar, rubbing her back gently. "Shalimar…"

"I'm sorry, Bren," She began, tears welling again in her eyes.

"You ran out there in a T-SHIRT, Shal! A T-SHIRT! IN THE MIDDLE OF WINTER! What the hell were you thinking! You could've frozen to death out there before Jesse and I found you! We got lucky! I love you, but that was really, _really_ stupid! If you had died…" He shook his head and racked his fingers through his hair in frustration. He walked away from her and kicked at the steel door of a cabinet. "Dammit Shal!" Silence descended on the room as she stood from the bed and placed her hand on his shoulder.

Brennan sighed and turned to face her, cupping her cheeks in his hands. He leaned down and pressed his lips against her forehead. "I'm sorry, Brennan. I just, I panicked and the room seemed too small. I had to get out. I know it was stupid."

"Shal…I'm just upset because, yeah, it was stupid, but you didn't even stop to consider the other possibility in this situation. " She raised an eyebrow at him questioningly. "Shalimar, _I_ could be the father. It doesn't necessarily have to be _his_. You and I have…so it could very well be mine. It's a fifty-fifty chance. Why don't we wait for Jesse to run that test and get the results before you go panicking again? If it turns out to be His, then we'll figure something out. If it's mine…well… we'll figure it out."

Shalimar took a deep breath and nodded slowly. "Okay…" She exhaled. "Okay…" She let loose a shuddering sigh. "You're right. The baby could be yours. I don't know why I didn't consider it before." Brennan rubbed her arms gently.

"Shock, fear, it's going to be okay, Shal, really."

"I know…It's just…I'm not an asset to this team pregnant. How can I help take down the bad guys with an extra life inside me? I would only put you guys in danger."

"I told you, we'll figure it out. Until then, try not to stress about it, okay?" He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his eyes. When she did, she smiled, love radiated off of him in waves, his eyes shone with it.

"I love you," Shal whispered as she leaned her head against his chest.

"I love you too." He placed a kiss in her hair.

TO BE CONTINUED...

A/N: Review please and thank you!


	5. Chapter 5: Tests and Tender Moments

A/N: I know this chapter is short, for which I am truly sorry, but this is all I've got written so far and I felt it better to update now then to make you wait forever. I've got a vacation coming up so perhaps I'll have more time for writing these fics. That would be nice. So, I'm doing the best I can and that's for sticking with me.

Anyways, this chapter is kinda slow, it's just some cuddly Shal-Bren and Lex-Jess moments and the taking of an embrionic DNA sample. So, sorry if it's a bit boring. Let me know what you think and who you think the baby should be fathered by. I'm at an impass with the latter. I'm not sure who I want the paternity test to show...hmm...Opinions would be great! Thanks again!

"Okay," Jesse inhaled deeply, his anxieties about the testing showing clearly. He didn't bother trying to hide it. "This procedure is still kinda new. I've gotta get a DNA sample from the baby's embryonic sac and compare that to Bren's and Neilson's DNA. It'll take at least a few days to get the results and I've never done this before. You might wanna take that into consideration before you let me do this." Shal forced a half-smile.

"I've gotta know, Jess. You can do this. And it's not like I can go to a hospital and get it done there. Mutant DNA, you know." She smiled.

"True, couldn't have those tabloids being called. It'd blow apart our whole operation." Jesse grinned at her.

"Okay," Shalimar took a deep breath and lay down on the chair in the lab. "Let's do this." Brennan took her hand and squeezed it gently. Jesse rubbed novocain on a spot on her stomach and made the suggestion that Brennan not watch him put the needle in Shal. Brennan quirked an eyebrow but turned his head downward to look into her eyes. Jesse smiled lightly as they exchanged at look that only lovers possess. A special look just for the two of them.

A few minutes later it was done, much to Jesse's relief. He slapped a bandage on Shal's stomach and tugged her sweater down. "That should do it." Shalimar sat up gingerly and smiled.

"That's gonna hurt later, isn't it?"

"It's probable," he replied, smiling boyishly.

"Joy…A few days right, Jess? And you'll let me know as soon as you get the results back? No matter what they are?"

"I will." She eyed him. "I _promise_." She pursed her lips for a moment, then smiled. She trusted him.

"I think I'm going to watch a movie or something. Coming, Bren?"

"Of course." He replied simply, taking her slender hand and tugging her towards the door. "Later Jess."

"Bye…I'll just be here, slaving…pay me no mind…" His voice trailed off as their laughter rang through the corridor and he realized that they weren't listening. "Yeah guys, thanks a lot. No need to keep the molecular company…uh huh…" He turned to the computer to extract the strand of DNA from the sample he had just taken and compare it to the strand he took off of Shalimar when she had dragged herself back into Sanctuary and a sample that they had on file for Brennan. It was going to be a long night.

"So, babe, what do you want to watch?" Brennan asked, flopping onto the couch as she rummaged through the cabinet with their DVDs in it.

"How aboouuut…" her voice trailed off and became muffled as she stretched her neck further into the cabinet. "X-men. Then we can laugh at the irony."

"Ughh, nooo…come on baby, _anything_ but that."

"Aww, come on, why not?"

"Well, I have nothing against the film or the directors or anything. I like the action and the girls are hot, I just find it a bit irritating to watch fake mutants on TV, being a mutant myself."

"Big baby." She grinned. "Fine, how about Speed?"

"You just wanna watch that for Keanu Reeves." He pouted.

"Yeeaah, but you'd only watch it for Sandra Bullock."

"True. Okay, Speed works. At least it's better than mutants."

"Yay! Keanu Reeves, here I come." Brennan glared at her and she raised her hands in mock surrender. "Just kidding…" He smiled. "Sorta," she grinned as he gaped at her and she kissed his open lips, giggling, forgetting for that one instant about the child she bore. He smiled against her lips and tugged her into his arms. She sat between his legs and leaned against his broad chest, snuggling against him as his arms found their way around her waist.

"You know what," he whispered next to her ear as she started the DVD. She titled her chin up to look at him. "You're amazing." He kissed her forehead gently. She smiled softly at the lips pressed against her skin.

"You're not so bad yourself." She nudged him gently and he grinned. She sighed and leaned deeper into his arms. "What would I do without you?' She asked quietly.

"Hmm, I dunno…" He pretended to ponder the question as her mouth flapped open momentarily then she giggled and kissed the inside of his arm. He laid his head on top of hers and they settled back to watch the movie.

Jesse sat, forehead upon the lab countertop, snoring quietly, work forgotten in his current state of unconsciousness. Many feet away, Lexa started awake from a nightmare, eyes wild with panic. She felt for the typical warm lump of Jesse beside her and her hand touched nothing. Unaiding to her growing panic, she flung her sheets away and stuffed her feet into slippers, shuffling quickly towards the door.

Lexa hurried towards the lab, sighing in relief when she saw Jesse slumped over the work table, as he usually was when he fell asleep working on something important. Her unease settled even more as she got closer and noticed the rise and fall of his shoulders as he breathed evenly in deep slumber. She slipped silently into the lab and tiptoed over to Jesse. Her hand fell lightly onto his shoulder.

"Jesse?" She shook him gently. He mumbled something about tests and jackhammers and smacked his lips. Lexa quirked an amused and slightly bewildered eyebrow, swallowing down a snicker as she shook him again. "Jess?" Come on Jesse, get up and come to bed."

"Mmnnnnnmm…" He groaned, shifting slightly before peeping a heavily lidded eye open at her. "Can I help you?" He grumbled, annoyed that she's woken him despite the stiffness of his back, neck, and shoulders.

"Get up and come to bed, babe, you'll be more comfortable there. And I'll be warmer." She grinned coyly down at him, offering him her hand. He took it and she hauled him from his seat. He leaned against her and she helped him stumble to their now-shared bedroom.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	6. Ch 6: Bodies and Pretty Little Parcels

A/N: Sorry for yet another long wait. I promise that this chapter is longer (I think) and definitly more exciting. I'm finally getting into the real plot here. There's no word as of yet on the paternity of Shal's baby, but there will be soon. I swear it. Hope you like this chapter, review and let me know. Or review and let me know if you're still actually reading this. And if you're not it's my own fault for not updating faster. Muc love to all who reviewed already! Enjoy this new installment!

Disclaimer: You know the drill, I don't own 'em, 'cept the ones I make up, then i do!

CHAPTER 6:

"What made you wake up?" Jesse asked, voice husky with sleep as they slipped under their flannel sheets and she snuggled up against him. He hissed softly as her cold feet brushed against his legs. "Burr, cold," He chuckled and rubbed his hands up and down her arms.

"Yeah, well, it is December, and just a dream. A bad dream." He hugged her closer and kissed her temple.

"What about?"

"It's kind of fuzzy now, but it seemed so real before." His eyes met hers and she knew that he wanted her to describe it if she could. "I saw fire… We were in a-a warehouse, I think. We separated, you and Bren went one way, me and Shal went the other… Then, and explosion…fire everywhere, rock falling, beams. I was choking on dust and we couldn't get out… I couldn't find you… It just freaked me out, that's all."

Jesse pressed another kiss against the side of her hair. "Well, try to forget it. Nothing bad will happen to you while I'm here to keep you safe." She smiled and sighed contentedly and they drifted off together in each other's arms. If only Jesse knew how untrue that simple reassurance was.

"God, I'm bored…" Brennan grumbled irritably. Shalimar, seated between his outstretched legs, ran her fingers up and down his arm, smiling at his foul temper.

"I hear that," Lexa chimed in front her position sprawled on the floor under a fan.

"Well, guys, your prayers have been answered by the mutant genie," Jesse announced, striding into the room, grinning from ear to ear with anticipation. The others sat up, trying not to look like they were _too_ desperate for a job. Jesse chuckled. "Hmm, perhaps I shouldn't tell you…"

"JESSE!" Shalimar, Lexa, and Brennan shouted together in exasperation. The other mutant held up his hands in surrender.

"Just _kidding_, geez, guys, relax." Jesse laughed. "Got a mutant pickup, wants to be put in the underground. Um…" He glanced at the file in his hand. "Water elemental, freezes stuff on contact, that sorta thing. We're meeting her at an old warehouse by the piers in half an hour."

"God, what is it with these guys and old crappy-ass warehouses?" Lexa grumbled irritably.

"Hey, you know what; we could be pickin' this chick up in a space ship for all I care. I'm just happy to have something to do." Brennan reasoned. Lexa and Shalimar nodded in agreement.

"Let's get going, we wanna get there first if we're gonna scope the place out before the girl gets there." Jesse said, heading towards the hangar. The other three members of Mutant X were up on their feet in an instant following him towards the Helix at a run. Jesse laughed at their haste, wondering if he was the only sane one left in Sanctuary.

"I can't sense anyone here. That's weird. Why can't I sense her?" Shalimar pondered aloud as the skin at the back of her neck rose ominously. "Something's off here." Her eyes glowed their luminous feral yellow in the darkness of the warehouse. Suddenly the walls seemed thicker, closer; the tin and steel ceiling seemed lower. "Over here." She breathed as her eyes fell upon a shape in the gloom.

Their feet stopped dead as they realized what the shape was. The mutant girl, arms and legs tied horribly tight behind her, her face a frozen mask of pain. The members of Mutant X gaped at the body in silence, unable to find any words for what they were seeing. Someone had killed their charge. Viciously murdered even as she hoped for the safety of escape. Who could've done something so awful?

Whoever they were, they weren't done yet.

Shalimar's ears pricked at a new sound. Her ears picked up a steady beeping noise beyond her line of sight. She raised a hand to stop her friends and silence their contemplative whispers.

"Shal?" Brennan hissed in the impending silence. She shushed him, inching forward.

"Do you hear that?" She whispered.

"Honey, we're good, but we're not feral." Lexa quipped, voice soft through her gentle sarcasm. "What're we supposed to be hearing here?"

"A beeping…I can hear something beeping."

Suddenly a static-y voice came from out of nowhere, reverberating off of the rusting walls.

"_Mutant X, how nice of you to come. Though I knew you would. You always do to help one of your freakish brethren. Well, now that you've arrived, here's what I have to say: You killed someone important to me. Now you're all going to pay. And if you think what's about to come is bad. Remember: this is just the calm before the storm. It will only get worse from here on out…That is, if you survive beyond the next thirty seconds."_

The voice snickered, viciously joyful as it reveled in its triumph. "_Oh yes, I have a gift for you. Oh, it's not a pretty little parcel wrapped in shiny paper or bedecked in a lovely bow. It's quite the opposite really. I'll give you a hint: It's small, contains a clock, and makes a fiery BOOM."_ The voice, vaguely female sounding through the terrible connection, cackled with such malice that it made the team mates' skin crawl.

"A bomb!" Jesse stated the blatantly obvious.

"Shit! It's a count down beeping! Shit!" Shalimar shrieked, she so deeply hated fire. Her stomach twisted into a tangle of knots.

"Where? Where is it?" Lexa exclaimed, eyes wide and frantic.

"Ahead of us, go back! Back the way we came!" Shalimar winced as the beeping hastened even as they retreated. "Hurry!" The others ran even as she turned back to grab up the young girl's body. No matter what, she would not let the maimed girl burn because of a vendetta against them.

"_Five, four, three, two-," _The voice counted down as the booked it for the large steel door. They were still so very far away. The gap between them and the safety of the space outside the warehouse walls seemed to stretch for miles.

"Go! GO!" Brennan shouted, taking the body from Shal's arms and swinging it over his shoulder. He gripped Shalimar's hand tightly within his own and tugged her along with him, his long legs making him faster than her as her fear of fire slowed her down.

"_One,"_ the voice cackled viciously.

_**BOOM! **_

The members of Mutant X were thrown forward, still several feet from the door as their "gift" exploded, shattering the panicked silence as they ran for their lives. All of the oxygen was sucked from the air as it fed the plume of fire that bit at their heels. Chunks and slabs of steel and tin, nuts and bolts and nails flew everywhere, gashing skin and bruising limbs. Smoke and dirt filled the air and the team mates were buried in the fallout. Several seconds of chaos, then silence. Nothing stirred. Only silence; deep, mind-blowing, ominous, deafening silence.

TO BE CONTINUED...


	7. Chapter 7: Blood and Fallout

A/N: Wow guys, the reviews for the last chapter was pathetic. ONE! In like three weeks I got ONE review! That makes me really sad. And the last update was more exciting too... :insert sad face here: (

More reviews would be appreciated. They make me happy. And I update faster if people remind me by reviweing for the updates.

Discliamer: you know the deal: I don't own MX.

Chapter 7: Blood and Fallout

The first to stir was Jesse, having managed to mass-at least for the most part-before the explosion, lifting his head from the dusty floor and coughing the dirt from his lungs. He managed to lever his hand under him and push his chest up off the floor, pulling his feet up under him in a crouch. His head, hit by a heavy piece of something, spun and he braced himself by planting his hands on the floor. His first fogged conscious thought was for his team mates, Lexa, Shal, Brennan…were they alright? Brennan and Shalimar had been further behind. Too far behind?

"Bren? Shal? Lexa?" He coughed on each word as the dust of the wreckage swirled around his head.

"Unnnghhh…" A pained groan to his left startled Jesse before he crawled cautiously to the body's side. It was Lexa, a slab of twisted sheet metal slumped over her back and legs. Jesse quickly hauled it off of her and, noting a deep cut from the metal on her back, turned her over so he could see her face. Her eyes were squeezed shut against the grime that tried to squeeze under the lids and her face was scrunched in pain. A huge gash on her arm and another on her thigh bled heavily. A thin cut on her cheekbone trailed a small rivulet of crimson down her face.

Jesse used a clean edge of his shirt, moistened with the only wet thing he had, his spit, and cleaned the dirt from her eyes. Gently, he smoothed the hair from her face as her head turned towards him blindly. "Uhhnn…." A tear slid down a grimy cheek and Jesse leaned down to kiss her forehead.

"Shh, I'm right here, Lexa, you'll be okay. I'm right here." He picked up her hand and placed it against his cheek.

"Jesseee," she whimpered pitifully, putting forth the effort to crack open blood shot eyes. She tried to move and gasped in pain. Jesse put his hands on her shoulders and held her still.

"Try not to move. You're cut up pretty badly. Stay still while I try to find Shal and Brennan." His last words made her eyes burst open, wide with concern.

"Where are they? Are they okay?" She asked, voice halting as she cringed.

"Shh, shh, I'm not sure yet, but I'm gonna find them. You just hang tight. We're all gonna be okay."

"You don't know that," she groaned as he took off his shirt and ribbed it into strips, tying one around the cuts on her arm and leg then balled up another and pressed it agaist her back.

"Yes. I do." Jesse stated with grim determination, kissing her hand and placing her gently on the ground, making sure she laid down just the right way that she kept the make-shift bandage on her back in place. "Stay still, I'll be back for you after I find the others." She nodded, trying not to grimace at the motion.

Cautiously, Jesse got to his feet, scanning the room for limbs of any kind. He walked lightly across the rubble, trying to tread too heavily in case he should step on someone buried under the fallout. "Shal? Brennan?" Jesse called, eyes carefully looking around him all the time. "Shalimar!" Brennan! Where are you?" He was growing concerned. Where the hell were they?

"Je-hess…" A wheezy, feminine gasp came from behind him. Jesse whirled around and caught sight of Shalimar's blonde curls in the grey-brown of the after-explosion muck. "Geddit hoff…" She gasped, struggling beneath a tick slab of twisted metal and plaster. Jesse, eyes wide as he realized that it was slowly crushing her, struggled to get the heavy object off of her. Blood streamed from the corner of Shalimar's mouth, cutting a crimson trail sideways across her face to where it dripped from her cheek onto the ground beneath her head. That blood mingled with a growing pool beneath her that gushed from a deep gash across the feral's chest.

Jesse finally managed to slide the metal off of Shalimar and assessed the damage that had been done. Beside the nasty cut on her chest, there was a broken rib protruding from her flesh and Jesse could tell that several others had been broken, if not shattered, by the weighty slab that had lain across his team mate. Jesse kneeled beside Shalimar and wiped the blood from her mouth with a bit f his shirt. Shalimar needed immediate medical attention, more so than Lexa, but he had to find Brennan first.

"Brennaaan…" she groaned, trying desperately not to make it sound like a whimper. Jesse gripped her hand tightly, wondering if a rib and punctured her lung, what with the blood coming from her mouth and all.

"You're hurt bad, Shal. You've gotta stay still. I'm gonna find him and we're gonna get out of here. I'm going to take care of this, of us. You'll be alright. Just try not to move, okay?" Shalimar nodded weakly, though she didn't look very happy about not being able to help the man that she loved so dearly.

"Lexa?"

"She's better off than you are. SHE wasn't slapped in the chest with a chunk of metal. Don't you know you're supposed to _duck_ that kinda stuff?" Shalimar wheezed out a small chuckle, grimacing in pain. "I'll find Brennan and we'll get outta here and get you all patched up. Just stay put."

Jesse stood to his feet and glared at the floor around him. Brennan hadn't been far away from Shalimar. He had to be around here somewhere.

TO BE CONTINUED...

a/n: Where's Brennan? And how badly are Lexa dn Shal really hurt. I swear I'm getting to the actual plot now. So, remember to review and make the author happy.


	8. Chapter 8: Lost and Found Dying

A/N: Hi people! Thank you thank you thank you all soooooo much for reviewing for me! Thank you to: **loveconquers** (Yes, poor Jesse, you'll see his annoyance later in the chap. Oh yeah, and I hope you upload a new fic soon!), **Lisa** (I like cliffhangers :evil grin:), **Mxfan214** (Thanx!), **Golden Flither** (aww, thank you! I appreciate that! I'm glad you like my fic!), **Kiki-0400** (Don't stop reviewing! Look, look! I didn't take a month this time! Aren't you proud of me?), **Marie Crosby** (oo, don't have a heart attack, they're probably not at all fun), and whoever** "Anonymous"** is, thanks!

I really appreciate all of your reviews! Didn't I tell you that if you did so I'd update faster? Hmm? Didn't I? I'm writing more now that I'm out for summer and finals are over. I couldn't find time in May or June to write because of term papers and projects and all that jazz (haha, Chicago... - ). I really do appreciate all those of you who reviewed, or are just reading and haven't reviewed. Your support means so much to me! THANKS!

Disclaimer::grumble: yea yea... I know...

Chapter 8: Lost and Found Dying

Where? Where was he? Trapped? Buried? Unconscious? Hurt? …Dead? Jesse rapidly shook the last question from his mind and occupied the worrying half of his heart with searching for Brennan. His best friend. His brother. Lost somewhere in the wreckage of their misfortune. It had all been a setup. Somehow, their attacked had known about their meeting with the mutant girl and had set them up. But how? And why had they killed her? Mutant haters? Ones who wanted their kind to be wiped from the earth forever? Jesse didn't know, but he was damn sure that once his family was safe, he'd find out.

His family. His eyes flitted back to the writhing form of Lexa just feet away and the scarily still Shalimar merely inches from him. And Brennan. Somewhere around here his fallen comrade lay and Jesse knew that he couldn't be alright. If Shalimar was that badly hurt, Brennan couldn't be much better off. If he was alive at all. A tear snaked down Jesse's grimy cheek, which he brushed away, smudging the dirt more than it already was. _No,_ he thought, _I can't think that way. I can't believe he could die this way. No way. I mean, this is Brennan we're talking about. The biggest hardass I've ever known. No. No way. I'm gonna find him and we're all gonna be okay. Just keep looking, Jesse. You're going to find him._

Jesse took a deep breath and continued his search. They would all be alright. As soon as Brennan was found, he'd load them into the Helix, take them back to Sanctuary, heal them, and then they would figure out what the hell had happened here.

"Brennan!" Jesse called loudly, picking his way carefully though the fallout. "Brennan, can you hear me! Brennan!"

"Breeeeennn-," Jesse heard Shalimar whimper. He squeezed his eyes shut momentarily, then kept going. _Don't worry Shal, I'm gettin' him._

Something shifted in the corner of his eye. Jesse's eyes shot to the movement, but it had stilled and he saw nothing. Jesse frowned and headed in that direction anyways. Something was better than nothing, right? His footfalls were barely heard as he tread cautiously forward. "Bren?" He called softly, hoping to hear or see something, anything that would lead him the right way. Another shift, a rustling of gravel and dust falling to the floor, Jesse's head snapped toward the sound. A tuft of black-grey dusted hair came suddenly into view as the lightweight dirt and stone fell from the uneven surface of his hair. "Brennan!" Jesse stumbled over to the hair and grabbed the layer of sheet metal that had hidden Brennan's battered body.

A crimson pool of blood lay beneath him and Jesse couldn't immediately identify the source. After a few second's search he discovered a chunk of jagged shrapnel protruding from Brennan's back. The piece was so large it stretched from shoulder blade to mid-back and bled heavily. Brennan, himself, lay face down, unmoving, left arm cut up pretty badly, a deep gash across his temple and from the top of his right eye, above his eyebrow, to his cheekbone below, only added to the pool. Unable to turn him over, Jesse stretched two fingers to his neck to search for a pulse.

Upon finding one, weak as it was, Jesse sighed in relief and began to think of ways to transport his injured friends without killing them. Brennan especially. Jesse had no way of knowing how deeply the shrapnel was imbedded or how much internal damage had been done. Lexa would be okay. Her injuries were minimal next to Shal's or Brennan's. The latter two undoubtedly had internal damage, most likely bleeding. If he didn't get them back to Sanctuary soon, Brennan, at the very least, was dead.

"Bren?" Jesse touched his shoulder gently. He got no response. "Brennan? If you can hear me, gimme some kind of sign. Please, Bren." Several long seconds of nothing before the corners of Brennan's eyes and his forehead wrinkled into a pained frown. Jesse exhaled hard, letting loose the hair he'd been holding. "Okay…okay…Hang in there Brennan. Don't you dare die on me. Shalimar would _so_ kick my ass if I let you die. Don't move…not that that'll be a problem for you right now… I'm gonna get Lex and Shal into the Helix and I'll be back for you. So just hold on, okay?"

"Shal," Came the barely audible breath.

"Glad to see you heard _something_ I said." Jesse grumbled, groaning as he, once again, got to his feet, tired and battered body protesting his every move. He went back to Lexa and gently, carefully, lifted her into his arms. She whimpered and clutched at his shirt as he carried her to the cloaked Helix. He settled her on one of the beds and went back for Shalimar, carrying her with extraordinary caution, caution that a glass-blower would marvel at. Next came Brennan. This posed a problem for Jesse. Brennan was bigger, heavier, and badly hurt. Jesse had absolutely no idea how he would get his fallen comrade into the Helix before the cops showed up to investigate the explosion. In fact, he could already hear the sirens in the distance.

Jesse blew out an exasperated breath. "What to do…what to do…" He murmured. "Of course you all choose to get hurt at the same time, obviously leaving me to deal with this all by myself. Isn't that just so very convenient? Look, there's Jesse, let's make him do all the work…" As he grumbled, Jesse picked out a fairly flat sheet of thin metal and carefully slid Brennan onto it. He grunted and sweated as he dragged the slab out to the Helix. The whole process took less than five minutes, including heaving Brennan over the uneven ground, but to Jesse's tired arms, it seemed to take an eternity. "God Bren, you've gotta lose some weight," he huffed as he hooked Brennan up to a vitals monitor and ran back to grab the dead girl's body. Shalimar would want her to get a proper burial.

Jesse raced back to the plane, sank into the seat behind the Helix's controls and lifted the craft into the air. Less than a minute later, the police arrived, searching the rubble for bodies. Of course, they would find none, and would write the explosion off as a gas leak or something. Because, of course, they would find no evidence of explosives or foul play. And the blood? Well, that had already been taken care of. But by who or what? A nifty new creation that their attacker had invented that veiled things that she didn't want to be seen. Especially blood and bodies. Now isn't _that_ convenient?

Jesse glared down at what was left of the warehouse with disgust and slammed the Helix around and back toward Sanctuary. Brennan's vitals were dropping rapidly. If he couldn't get him back to lab in time, Brennan was a dead man. He couldn't pull the metal from his back without proper medical equipment present to stop the bleeding, he could check for internal damage without his computers. Without Sanctuary's lab equipment, it was all over for his team mate, his friend, his brother. How could he live with himself if her let Brennan die? How could he forgive himself? Shalimar would hate him forever. Or worse, she would blame herself for his injuries. Jesse couldn't let that happen. There was no way in hell he would let Brennan die.

TO BE CONTINUED...

READ AND REVIEW PLEASE! THANKS!


	9. Chapter 9: Healings and Close Calls

A/N: hello all! Sorry it's taken so long to update. Work's a bitch of a time-stealer. Dirty theif... hehehe. THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO REVIEWED! I love you all! Okay, without further adieu, here's the next chapter.

Chapter 9: Healings and Close Calls

"Come on, Brennan, stay with me here." Jesse said under his breath as the helix flew low over the mountains that hid Sanctuary. The secret entryway opened and Jesse flew through it, landing the helix lightly beside the door into their living quarters. The doors unsealed with their usual pneumatic hiss as air pressure seals slid apart. Jesse glared at their regularity. They acted like nothing had happened. Stupid doors.

"Okay, now you're just being ridiculous. Doors are inanimate, Kilmartin, get a grip." Jesse berated himself, all the while gently laying Brennan, chest down on a roll able gurney and running him up to the lab. He hooked Brennan up to a life support system that Adam designed and ran back for Shalimar and Lexa.

After quickly using the lab equipment to heal Lexa, he set the computers on Shalimar and Brennan. He, himself, focused on Brennan. There would definitely be some manual labor going into Brennan's healing.

"Computer, be ready to cauterize."

"Computer ready, waiting on voice command." The computer droned back. Jesse took a deep breath and reached for the metal sticking out of Brennan's back. Wrapping his hands around the sharp edges, feeling it bite into his skin, he took a deep breath. It was now or never.

"Hang tight, Bren, this is gonna hurt." And without another word or warning, he phased the metal and slid it out of his friend. Brennan's face twisted in pain, but no sound came from him, as he slid further from the living, waking world. His heartbeat plummeted as blood gushed from the hole in his back.

"Computer! Now! Focus on internal injuries and bleeding! Rapid cauterization." Jesse shouted at the computer as what little color was left in Brennan's face slipped away. "Come on, Brennan, come on." Jesse gripped his hand tightly as the computer did its work. It was up to Brennan and the computer now.

"Healing complete."

Jesse froze as Brennan's life line stayed flat. On the next bed, Shalimar slowly rose, her weakened body shaking. "Jess?" She said hoarsely, then her quick ears focused on the sound of Brennan flat-lining. "Brennan!" She jumped from the bed and her knees gave out. Jesse caught her and helped her over to Brennan. Her shirt was soaked in her own blood, the smell of it making him sick, even though he knew that she would be okay. "Jesse, do something!" She cried, panicked, as no vitals showed for the man she loved. Tears flooded her eyes and dripped from her cheeks.

"Computer, begin resuscitation, crash cart procedures." Jesse ordered as he rolled Brennan onto his back and attached little wires to Brennan's chest.

"Beginning procedure. Stand back." Jesse dragged Shalimar away as Brennan's back rose from the bed and vibrated as the shock went through him. And hand on his shoulder told Jesse that Lexa was with him, but it didn't help, as Shalimar clung to his shirt and cried.

"Come on Bren, you can do this." Jesse breathed almost inaudibly. Lexa's grip on his shoulder tightened. Another shock jolted through him and tears pricked at the corners of Jesse's eyes. He could hear Lexa trying to restrain her tears.

"Brennan," Shalimar whimpered, as, once again, nothing happened. A third and forth shock bared no results.

"Computer," Jesse began hoarsely, "one last try." Shalimar sobbed and dropped to her knees, ignoring the pain that shot through her chest from her recently-repaired ribs.

A tear fell from Jesse's eyes as he watched in slow motion as the electricity flowed into Brennan's body and lifted him from the bed. He seemed to hang in the air for an eternity before dropping back to the mattress. The several seconds of silence dragged on until…just when they thought all hope was lost, a bleep of the heart monitor snapped on their heads toward the screen. One blip, then another and another, speeding up to a normal rate before their eyes. On the bed, Brennan's chest heaved as he sucked in desperate breaths. Shalimar forced herself to her feet, staggering to the bed and falling onto it beside him. She wrapped her arms around him and held on, tears flowing unchecked in her relief. Slowly, he slid a shaking arm around her waist and she buried her face in his shoulder.

Brennan's deep brown eyes flickered open as he held onto her. Jesse and Lexa went to him and Jesse squeezed his hand, holding his emotions at bay. Brennan gripped his hand tightly before releasing it. He met Jesse's eyes, thanking him without words. Jesse smiled at him and put an arm around Lexa's waist.

"You okay?" he whispered in her ear. She nodded and showed him the faded bruising from what was left of the cut on her arm.

Under the drying blood on Shalimar's torn shirt, he could see deep blue and purple bruising from her gashes and metal wounds. It was the best the computer had been able to do after healing the serious parts of her injuries. Jesse knew she must be in pain. Brennan too. After having a sheet of metal in his back and multiple shocks through his body, Jesse knew that he was putting on a brave face for Shalimar. A thin red, fading line above and below his eye showed where that cut had been, and another was barely visible across his temple. Jesse didn't want to imagine what the poor guy's back looked like. After all, bruises were spreading from the electrical wires alone, let alone the damage to his back. Computers were computers, not miracle healers.

Lexa felt something warm spreading across her side and looked down. Deep crimson spread from under Jess's hand. "Jesse!" she exclaimed and turned his hand over, grabbing the other and doing the same. "What'd you do?"

Jesse looked down and blinked in surprise. There was no pain, no nothing; he hadn't even realized he'd been bleeding. "Oh…" He said absently, staring at the pooling blood in his hands.

"Oh?" Lexa repeated critically. "OH? Jesse, you're bleeding! Why didn't you say anything?"

"Didn't notice, actually. I must've done it taking the sheet of metal out of Brennan." He replied, realization dawning on his tired, stressed mind. He shrugged as Lexa looked at him, wide eyed. "I had more important things, more important people," he looked at the three people he loved more than life itself and smiled gently, "to worry about."

Lexa hugged him tightly and then steered him the lab table, setting the computers to stitch up his cut hands. When that was done, she wrapped a thin layer of bandages around his palms and kissed his fingers. Jesse smiled and hugged her, keeping an arm around her shoulders and turning back towards Shal and Brennan.

"Are you feeling okay, Bren?" Jesse asked, eyes narrowing in concern. Brennan forced himself into a sitting position, nodding and wincing at the same time.

"Bruises and pain… nothing I can't handle." He smiled weakly.

"You should lie back down and get some rest." Shalimar mothered him lovingly, stroking his hand with her thumb.

"I'm okay, really. What about you?" He reached up and touched a blood-and-dirt caked lock of hair behind her ear. His eyes fell, at last, on the blood covering her shirt. "How bad were you hurt?" He frowned, gently touching the bruises on her ribs and shoulder that showed through the tears in her shirt. She shrugged, trying to make it seem unimportant. She knew she's gotten lucky today, as had Brennan. "Jess?"

"Pretty bad. There was a lot of blood. But it was nothing compared to you. I thought you were a goner for sure, man.

"Nah," Brennan shrugged, grimacing and then rolling his eyes. He should've known better than to move his shoulders and stretch the bruising on his back. "It'll take more than that to kill me….I hope…" He grinned and Shalimar slapped his chest and glared at him.

"_Not_ funny." She snapped.

"I agree," Jesse narrowed his eyes at him. "You're just fortunate I was there to save your ass…stupid, macho, ungrateful, son of a-." He grumbled.

"Hey Jess," Brennan interrupted before he could start cursing. "Thanks." His voice was soft but the sincerity was there. Jesse grinned.

"That's all I wanted. A simple thank you and the molecular's happy." His friends laughed and Lexa kissed the arm that was around her and she leaned against his chest. They were back together again, his family. Alive and safe and on the mend. He truly was, for the time being, a happy molecular.

Too bad it was temporary.

TO BE CONTINUED...

REVIEW PLEASE! Thank you!


	10. Chapter 10:Paternity and Pity

A/N: Hi everyone. I don't think their are enough languages to apologise in to make up for my disgraceful updating process. I keep kicking myself for it, and yet keep pulling the same crap. But I've been trying really hard the last few nights to set aside at least an hour to work on my fanfiction, so, hopefully, I'll be able to get more written and, if things go well, update faster.

Well, I'm 10 chapters in and nowhere near close to being done. This is gonna be a long one, folks. Bear with me, I know where I'm going with this and how I want it to end, I just have to concentrate and write the middle bit first.

Much Love to all who reviewed. Oh, and if you haven't read **loveconquers **fanfiction: DO! Amazing amazing amazing stuff, seriously! LOVED THE NEW FIC, BTW! AWESOME! (thanks for sticking with me and reviewing despite my horrid lack of updates. People should be glad you have a better update-ethic than me. I shoudl learn to write a whole story, and THEN post, rather than: write some, post, write a bit more, then post what I've got, and so worth. YOU ROCK! THANKS for reviewing!)

Chapter 10: Paternity and Pity

"Oh. My. God…" Shalimar inhaled sharply just as they were beginning to settle into the quiet, happy atmosphere in the lab. "Jess! The baby?"

"Oh shit!" Jesse jumped up from his seat and grabbed Shalimar's arm, dragging her to the lab table. "Lay down." He ordered, rushing to the computer and starting a scan. The results flashed across the screen as the beams shot back up into their holsters. Jesse took a deep breath and turned to Shalimar. "The baby's okay." Shalimar exhaled slowly the breath she'd been holding. She hadn't realized how afraid she'd been that she might have lost her child.

Again, she found she was surprised at herself. "Her" child. She had just referred to the possible child of the man she most hated as "her" child. What was she thinking? If that baby was his, she couldn't keep it. Could she? He or She could be an evil terror like its father. Did she want to bring another Neilson into this world? No. She didn't. That much she knew for sure. She couldn't bring another creep like that man into the universe to terrorize people.

"Shal?" Brennan's voice brought her out of her thoughts and she found the other occupants of the room eying her oddly. "You alright? You looked a bit… out-there...for a second."

"Yeah. Just thinking, babe." She turned to her molecular friend. "Jess, did you get the results of the paternity test yet?"

"Uh, no, I've been a bit busy trying to save all of your asses to check, actually." He glared at them all, then grinned widely. "Hang on, I'll check."

Once again, he turned to his computer and his fingers flew across the keys. Within seconds a jumble of numbers, graphs and ridiculously long words filled the screen. "Yup, here they are." Jesse's eyes flickered over the results. Shalimar looked over his shoulder and frowned at the medical gibberish.

"And those results in English _are _what? Exactly?" Shal asked, poking at the screen in impatient annoyance.

"Hey, quite it!" Jesse reprimanded as rainbows flowed from beneath her fingertip. "You'll kill the screen!"

"Sor-_ry_," Shalimar stuck her tongue out at him behind his back.

"I saw that," he grumbled loudly. She grinned at him. "Ookayy, here we are. The paternity of you baby is—Oh, God, no!"

"What?" Shalimar panicked and her voice showed it. She already knew the answer. It was His.

"It's…God, Shal, it's his." Jesse whispered as Lexa gasped in horror and Brennan fought a strong urge to gag.

"No…nonononono…" She shook her head. "It can't be true Jess. You've gotta be wrong. Those results! They're WRONG!" She exclaimed, backing into Brennan's bed. He touched her arm and she turned to him, burying her face in his shoulder. "I'm sorry, Brennan…I'm so, so sorry…" She sobbed, knowing that he had been wishing, more than anything, that this baby was his.

He held her, sore arms wrapped around her back like a tether, keeping her from fleeing. "Baby," he whispered in her ear. "Baby, baby, it's okay. You couldn't stop this. It's not your fault. It'll be okay. We have plenty of options. We'll work this out, together, we can work this out, I promise." She cried harder at his soft words as he stroked her matted and filthy hair.

"I failed you. I should've fought him harder. I never should've let this happen. I let that filth inside of me and I'm still paying for it. Will I ever stop paying for this?" Her hoarse whisper broke his heart and he held her tighter.

"You have _never, ever_ failed me. You fought as hard as you could. You couldn't stop this. I will never blame you for what happened in that warehouse. Not ever." She raised her eyes up to his face, the blood on her cheeks now running with her tears. "I _love you_, Shalimar. Nothing, and I mean_ nothing_, will ever change that. We will work this pregnancy out."

"Yeah, Shal," Lexa added gently. "And there's always that whole nurture versus nature thing to consider. This baby doesn't necessarily have to end up like its father. You and Brennan could raise an amazing child together. One worthy of being the future of Mutant X and all it stands for."

"She's right, Shal." Jesse agreed, rubbing her back comfortingly. Brennan smiled at them gratefully. Shalimar pulled away from him and rubbed her eyes, sniffling. She started to walk away from them, but Brennan stopped her.

"Shal, don't leave. Talk to us, to me. Come on, baby, please. Don't shut us out."

"I won't, I promise. I just…I need to be by myself for a while. I need to think about this, and absorb all of the shit that's been shoveled on us today. I'll be back later." She bent down and kissed his gently. "Rest, I'll come back in a little while, once I've had time to process all of this. By then, you may be up and about." She kissed him again and was gone, leaving the others to blink at her vanishing act.

"You think she's okay?" Jesse asked Brennan quietly a few minutes later, voice and face loaded with concern and guilt.

"I really wish I knew…." Brennan shook his head sadly. "Will this ever end for her?" His head fell onto his chest in defeat as Jesse's hand gripped his shoulder tightly, knowing that words would do little to comfort his brother. As Adam once said, 'It's deeds, not words."

Shalimar curled up in the most secluded corner of Sanctuary that she could find, pulling her legs up to her chest and wrapping her arms around them. She laid her head on her knees and let her tears come. It wasn't about the paternity of the child she carried. No. She was finally crying for herself for everything that Neilson did to her, all those weeks ago. She had tried so hard to hide the haunted expression in her eyes when she was around the others. She wouldn't let Brennan know how much it hurt and sickened her to think about her double rape.

She had been tied to a chair and taken by a man who was so cold and cruel and calculating, that he had used their emotional attachments to each other to hurt the other members of Mutant X. She had been used as a play thing for a feral with a lust for bondage and sister ferals. Or perhaps, just a lust for anyone she could get her clawed hands on. Despite the fact that she had used the latter to her advantage, she felt filthy. She often found herself standing in the shower trying to scrub the feeling of being used and disgusting off. She felt worthless because of them. Because of what they did to her in that room. She blamed herself for it. If she had only fought Neilson's guards harder, if she hadn't let them catch her, none of this would've happened. She wouldn't have to feel so used. So unworthy of the love that Brennan gave her. She felt like garbage waiting to be tossed into the streets.

And so she cried. She cried for the pain she had felt and the things that she's had to endure. She cried for the filth that she could never wash off of her body. She cried for the pain and the guilt that still haunted her. She cried because of the anger that coiled inside of her every time she heard His name or looked in a mirror. She cried because she'd hidden it so well, even from herself, that she'd never really dealt with what happened to her that day/ And then she cried because she felt selfish. She had gotten pregnant by the man who raped her and she felt that she had betrayed Brennan somehow. She wasn't worthy of him or anything he offered her.

Lastly, when the tears of self loathing and pity had slipped away, she cried for the child she carried and the genetics he or she had. She cried because she didn't know if this baby would be a monster like the man who'd made it. She didn't want another Neilson in the world to torment the innocent. She would never be able to live with herself if she let that happen. But every feral instinct in her body screamed for her not to get an abortion. It was wrong to snuff a life that never got a chance to exist.

She was so conflicted. Shalimar didn't know what to do. But for the time being, she was content to cry for herself, for her child, for Brennan, and for everything that had gone so very very wrong on those fateful days a few weeks past. The night at the club, when she and Brennan had stayed behind to…have fun, and then the eternity of pain that had followed. There was so much she had to deal with. And she didn't know how or where to start. Though she'd tried so hard to fight it away, perhaps this darkness really would consume her, after all.

TO BE CONTINUED...

A/N: Review, I swear it helps get my ass moving. I get the little e-mail and it reminds me that I have something I should be doing so as not to irk my readers! MUCH LOVE TO ALL OF YOU WHO REVIEWED CHAPTER NINE! YOU ROCK!


	11. Chapter 11:Why Does Shal Keep Taking Off

A/N: I know I've taken forever. Don't flame. I won't care. School is stressful, physics is killing me, in all honesty, you may be lucky I've updated at all. So, yay you. I'm sorry if I sound irritated. I'm just BLAH! I haaate physics. It's stressing me out. Okay, so, sorry for not posting. I really am. Also, i'm sorry if my stupid font is screwy, i'm not really sure how to fix it.. Enjoy the chapter, it's pretty long, i think. Love you all! Thanks for reviewing.

_**Why Does Shal Keep Taking Off  
**_

Brennan, with much coaxing from Jesse, had lain back down and drifted into a pained and uneasy sleep. He couldn't get comfortable. No matter which way he turned, his left arm ached and his back throbbed. He could feel the bruised skin on his face stretching and pulling harshly every time he cringed. He couldn't seem to win against he bruising that plagued him. Inwardly, he cursed violently, not just for the pain, but because of everything that had happened since Theodore Neilson had come into their lives. _Stupid, God damned, sick, twisted, mother fu-_

"Bren?" Jesse's voice interrupted his cussing, as he noticed the darker haired man wincing every few seconds. "Want me to give you something to help dull the pain? Maybe then you could get some rest. 'Cause you know that's the only thing that'll make your back feel better."

"Got some Advil the size of Texas? 'Cause that might just do it. Or perhaps the size of Europe." He chuckled, though he was completely serious.

"Nope. But I _do_ have morphine. That'll do ya just fine, I'm sure."

"Jess, have I told you lately how much you seriously _rock_?" Brennan grinned and he and Jesse clasped hands briefly, the later chuckling and grinning smugly.

"Yeah, but in a few seconds, all you'll be doing is drooling." He slipped a needle under the skin of Brennan's arm, and within moments, the elemental was blinking and yawning.

"Jess… morphine doesn't make ya sleep, does it?" Brennan asked as his eyelids fluttered.

"No, but the sedative I mixed with it does. Relax, you just need to get some rest, that's all. And that can't happen unless you sleep, so go on, off to dream land with you."

"You said nothing about a sedative," Brennan tried to glare through his drooping lids.

"No, I didn't."

"I'm _so_ kicking your ass for this later…sneaky bastard." And with that, Brennan's head lolled to the side and he fell into a medicinally eased sleep.

"Yeah, you'll be thanking me later, tough guy. I know what you're all about. Softy." Jesse spoke softly, covering Brennan with a thin blanket. Lexa come quietly up behind him, startling him as her arms slipped around his waste.

"Talkin' to yourself, there babe?" She grinned and kissed his shoulder blade. He turned and enveloped her in his arms, kissing her forehead. She smiled and turned her eyes up to his.

"No, talking to Brennan, I'm saying things he won't be able to remember to attack me for tomorrow." Jesse chuckled wryly. Lexa's grin widened, and a mischievous flame alighted in her eyes.

"Not unless I tell him… what was it I heard you call him? Softy? Oh yeah, Brennan'll _love_ to hear that one."

"You wouldn't dare!"

"Wouldn't I?" She quirked an amused eyebrow. Jesse raised one right back at her and began tickling her fiercely before she had a chance to flee. The typical Lexa-ish passiveness that normally played about her features fell away to pained laughter and he tickled her so hard that tears sprang into her eyes. She dropped to her knees and curled up as best as she could to shield her ribs from his invasive fingers. Finally, she was laughing so hard she could barely breathe, "Stop, stop!" She panted as he paused in his ministrations. "I give! I give! I won't tell him anything. Just stop."

Jesse grinned an offered a hand down to her, planning to help her to her feet. Lexa, breathing heavily, grinned evilly, snatched his hand and yanked him onto the floor beside her. In an instant, she had him pinned, knees on his arms and hands pressing down on his shoulders. "Not so tough now, now are you?"

"Uhmm… I love you?" Jesse smiled. Lexa's face softened and she leaned down, kissing him gently. Jesse took the opportunity to flip her onto her back and pin her to the floor.

"HEY!" She whined, annoyed. "This is so unfair! I was finally winning!"

"Lexa," Jesse interrupted her. She glowered at him. "Shut up." He bent his head down and brushed his lips over hers. The kiss soon deepened and they broke apart only because their lungs were desperate for oxygen. Lexa pushed up against him and smiled.

"You know…I love it when you top." She whispered hoarsely, tugging at the buttons on his shirt. Jesse took the hint, pulled her to her feet and into his arms, carrying her to his room, her soft giggles stopping short as his door snapped shut behind them.

"Brennan?" Jesse's gently shook him awake several hours late. Brennan started and sprang upright, wincing as vines of pain twisted around his back and torso. "Whoa, whoa," Jesse laid his hands on Brennan's shoulders to steady him as the bigger man slumped forward, angry with himself for being unable to handle the hurt that ran through his body.

Brennan's dark eyes rose to Jesse's tired, thinly stretched features. "What's wrong?" He asked, seeing the lines of stress and worry deepen at those two simple words. "Jesse?"

"We can't find Shalimar. She's not anywhere in here and she's taken her com ring off line. We haven't been able to reach her for the last few hours."

"Say WHAT?" Brennan jumped off of the lab bed and scrambled down the corridor to the room he shared with his feral fiancé. "SHAL! Shalimar! Where are you!"

"Brennan!" Jesse yelled after him. "She's NOT here!" Brennan whirled around, chest heaving after his mad dash around Sanctuary.

"Well, then, where the HELL IS SHE?" He shouted back, balling his fists so tightly that his knuckles grew white. Jesse hung his head.

"I told you, I don't know where she is. She took off her COM ring. We can't even track her until she puts it back on."

"Oh God, oh God, oh God," Brennan mumbled over and over, pacing and frowning, frowning and pacing, lines of unspoken fear and horror etched across his face. Jesse grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

"Bren, we're going to find her. _Not_ finding her _isn't_ an option, okay? She's just stressed, she needed some space, that's all, I'm sure. She'll be fine. Trust me."

"Jess, the last tie Shalimar's com link went offline, she nearly died. We thought she had. I can't go through that again. That was hell for me, and you know it."

"_This isn't like last time_, Brennan. This is _completely_ different. Last time, she was taken hostage, this time she just took off. She'll be back, no harm, no foul."

"How do you know?" Brennan snapped. "How do you know she didn't leave of her own free will and then something happened to her? You can't tell me, honestly, that the thought hasn't crossed your mind."

"No," Jesse admitted, scuffing the toe of his shoe against the floor. "I can't say that honestly. But I know Shalimar. And I think she's okay. Now breathe, 'cause you really do need to do that, you know." Brennan took a deep breath, and let it out slow.

"You're right. I'm over reacting. I mean, she just got a major bombshell dropped on her. She just needed some time and some space. That's all. I just need to chill. She'll be back when she's ready to talk."

"Who're trying to convince, me… or you?" Jesse asked quietly.

"Both, I think." Brennan shook his head and stepped away from his friend, looking down and his blood stained jeans, and the streaks of dirt and blood that still lingered on his skin. "I'm gonna go shower. If she comes back, Com me."

"In a heartbeat," Jesse promised. With a sigh, Brennan turned from Jesse and shuffled down the hall to his bedroom, back slumped with the weight of emotions that he'd never let anyone see, if he could help it. It just wasn't Brennan's way. He'd fended for himself so long that he had forgotten how it felt to trust people with those emotions. Shalimar had finally broken through that tough exterior and opened his heart, but with everything that had happened lately, it seemed as though Brennan were relaying the bricks of the wall around his heart. Jesse exhaled slowly. He wished, more than anything, that he could just make all of their problems, all of their heartaches, just go away. At least for a little while.


End file.
